After the New Orleans Saints' second preseason game, coach Sean Payton said the wide receiver play had been "average at best" this summer.

After the third preseason game on Saturday, Payton said the team's depth chart at receiver is "written in chalk."

Entering training camp, this breakdown would've been stunning because the receiver position was supposed to be one of the team's strengths. That could still be the case, but as the Saints approach their preseason finale, there are more questions than answers at the position.

And, while the Saints certainly want as many weapons as possible for quarterback Drew Brees, run blocking ability could actually be the key for a receiver to make the team or have an expansive role. With Brandon Coleman gone, the Saints are hoping someone steps up to help the run game.

Michael Thomas is the clear No. 1 receiver, and the expectation entering camp was that Ted Ginn Jr., Cameron Meredith and rookie Tre'Quan Smith would be the other three contributors while the rest of the receivers were probably competing for one or two spots. For now, though, the roles behind Thomas are unclear, and it seems several guys have a chance to make the roster with a strong final week.

Ted Ginn Jr. was supposed to be the de-facto No. 2 receiver because his speed makes him a necessary weapon in a Saints offense that likes to frequently put pressure on defenses by having a player run deep routes.

Through three preseason games, Ginn is averaging just 5.3 yards on his six catches, and Payton called him out for running the wrong routes twice in the second preseason game. Ginn will surely make the team, but the team wants to see better play.

Smith has been the second-best receiver in training camp, behind Thomas, and he's been a star in the preseason, catching 11 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown. To contribute early, Smith will have to show mastery of the Saints' complex offensive scheme, and it will be hard to tell how much Payton and Brees trust him until the season begins.

Meredith, the team's top offensive free-agent signing, has had a disappointing summer. He started training camp with a schedule that limited him in practice because of the knee injury he suffered with the Bears last year, but he then missed two weeks of practice for undisclosed reasons.

"I'm encouraged with his progress, and I'm encouraged with his conditioning level," Payton said of Meredith. "It's gotten better and he's going to play a bunch during this week (against the Los Angeles Rams)."

The confusing thing with Meredith is that most of his snaps on Saturday came with the backups because coaches wanted to see what Austin Carr could do with the starters. Carr, Tommylee Lewis, Michael Floyd, Brandon Tate and undrafted rookie Keith Kirkwood all needed to impress this summer to earn a role, and it would seem Carr is ahead of the rest of the group based on his usage Saturday.

"He's been steady," Payton said of Carr. "He's smart. He knows our system well. He had a number of opportunities tonight, so he's competing."

Carr finished Saturday's exhibition with three catches for 38 yards, but he had only one catch -- a 3-yarder -- while Brees was in the game. Still, Carr had an impressive 29-yard gain on a pass from Tom Savage, and with three catches for 37 yards against the Cardinals in the previous exhibition, it seems Carr is taking advantage of his chances.

"I think he has made the most of his opportunities this preseason," Brees said.

It also helps that Carr spent all of 2017 on the roster and had a chance to learn the playbook.

Among the other guys, Tate probably has the best chance to make the team because of his work as a returner.

Lewis had some highlights his first two years, but his questionable play on special teams hurts his chances. Floyd has improved since signing in late July, but a poor performance Saturday didn't help his chances. Kirkwood, meanwhile, has been out for more than a week with an undisclosed injury and looks more like a practice squad candidate.

The Saints have less than a week to make their roster decisions, and then they'll have another week to determine how to utilize their receivers in Week 1. Brees said he has good chemistry with a lot of the guys, but the deployment on Sept. 9 should finally clarify the roles among the receivers.

"We will see how it all shapes out," Brees said. "Whoever we do decide to move forward with, the roles will be clear and define and we will be ready to move forward."